(A/N: Wowie, this chapter is 6k words. The next one too, so it's almost like I'm posting four chapters. Merry Christmas in... August? What do people celebrate in August?
I'ma be honest, I haven't been reading any novels, manga, manhwa, or anything for a while so my writing is definitely doo-doo. I tried reading recently but all my links are dead bruh. Also, I thought I'd be able to binge a few things but they're still not completed! Oh ma lordy.)
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[Notice]
[The System has detected changes to the host's status]
[Modifying Status Screen...]
[Modification Complete]
[Does the host want to see their updated status?]
Lines of text appeared before Eira's very eyes. The familiar font, colour, and format shook her composure.
An otaku like her knew all too well what she had received.
At the end of the day, systems never failed to make their hosts stupidly overpowered.
"Yes!"
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[Eira] |
[Age]: 10
[Level]: <12>
[Race]: |Restricted|
[Titles]: Otaku, Omniversal Traveller, The Mistress Of Space And Time, Truckinator, Luck Be A Lady, Anomaly, Fated Snow, Enemy Of All, Beyond Omniversal, Cultivation Crusher, Limitless, (NEW!) Rule Breaker, (NEW!) Ungrateful Little Shit, (NEW!) Hero To Zero, (NEW!) Little Chef, (NEW!) Freak, (NEW!) Queen Of The Arcade, (NEW!) Crazy Classmate
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[Stats]:
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[Skills]:
Protogenoi-K |Rank: XX|
Hax |Rank: XX|
√Root |Rank: XX|
Cooking |Rank: XI --> D|
...
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[Singularity]:
Creation Will (The Life Of Games)
----------------------------
Staring at the status screen, Eira's mouth dropped in awe...
You're as beautiful as the day I lost you.
...before slackening out of woe.
A long sigh slipped out.
"I'm glad to have you back. I really am. But, damn, look at how far I've fallen."
Seeing her unimpressive status screen amounted to a big, fat slap in the face. Eira's stats were as expected: terrible, except for charisma and luck, the two stats she considered the most useless.
Looking at her titles, Eira can see how she got some of them. Nothing to be confused about there.
Her skills are also mostly as expected. Protogenoi-K and Hax she already knew about, but the skill that caught her attention was √Root. Eira didn't realise it had remained.
All of my Rank XX skills somehow stayed, or they stayed because they were Rank XX.
I'm familiar with two of them, but √Root... what are you for again?
Oh! The Magicule Breeder Reactor!
Tapping her foot, she recalled √Root as the skill that passively supplied her with endless magicules. Since she hadn't produced any magical energy of any kind since transmigrating, what exactly was the skill doing? Was it being a bum?
[Initiating Omniscient Scan on √Root...]
[Scan Complete]
The System intercepted her curiosity and acted accordingly.
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√Root |Rank: XX|
- The transcendent form of the skill, "Magicule Breeder Reactor."
- The energy it produces has reached its purest and most versatile form.
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A very simple description. The simplicity caused Eira to smile. From what she could tell, the skill could be used in many ways.
But the System added another line.
[The host is incapable of harnessing its power]
"..."
Just as Eira was feeling bummed out, the System added to their explanation.
[On your own, that is]
[I have always been responsible for the operation of √Root, and thus, the host is unfamiliar with how to utilise the skill]
[However, now that I have reawakened, production can recommence if the host wishes it]
"Why'd you pause for so long, huh? Are you messing with me?" said Eira in mock offence.
[Perchance]
Since the System gave the green light, Eira saw no reason to hesitate.
"Begin."
A few seconds passed. Eira was still very normal.
"System, did it work?"
[Affirmative]
"Well, what's it supposed to feel like? Like nothing?"
[Everything is in order]
Eira jumped and flexed a few times, then concentrated to unleash some kind of energy blast. When nothing happened, she tried a few 'cool-looking' poses to trigger a magical reaction.
Look at this mentally grown-ass man imitating the Jet-Black Wings.
Just what am I doing?
Eventually, embarrassment overtook her. Rubbing her forehead, she groaned, "My dear System..."
[Due to the host's restricted physiology, √Root is being utilised to generate biological compounds essential to the development of the host]
"Where's my magicules? Prioritise that."
[Magicules in this stage not only serve no function to the host, as the host has no method of controlling them, but high concentrations are also harmful and can prove lethal]
"Ugh. Right. That." She remembered the reason why she went to grab psychic powers in the first place. Magicules were toxic to anything that couldn't properly handle them. Fossil fuel was probably the closest comparison—powerful and useful, but dirty and dangerous. PSI, meanwhile, was more like clean energy.
There are other types of magic aside from Magicules that don't have the same toxic quality, but even if the System produced it, Eira still had no way of actually using it.
Begrudgingly, Eira had to accept that she wasn't as adaptable as before. No Omniversal Body meant no way to handle anything too fantastical.
That didn't mean √Root was useless. Far from it.
[The skill, √Root, is best utilised to nurture your development through the production of vital vitamins, minerals, cells, biological catalysts, molecules, etc. and by energising the host's body for peak functional efficacy]
[In addition, with the use of Protogenoi-K, I will be able to remove unwanted elements, boosting biological functions past the limit][!]
[This is taking into account the host's current capacity for production without exhibiting symptoms of skill overuse]
As impressive as it sounds, Eira didn't look too happy.
The System didn't explain in depth, but Eira reckoned that √Root is actually pretty amazing.
"If my understanding is correct, I basically won't have to eat anymore and still grow, recover and heal much faster, potentially regenerate limbs, and also potentially live forever."
[Not potentially]
[It is already a reality]
Truly godsent.
Only, there is one problem.
IF ONLY I STILL HAD MY TASTEBUDS!
I CAN EAT WHATEVER I WANT NOW, BUT WHAT'S THE POINT?!
Eira could not give a damn about any of the other benefits, like immortality. It's every person's dream to eat whatever they want without worry. The healthier a food is, the worse it tastes is a universal truth.
Too bad the opportunity was stolen from Eira.
Somehow, a bitter taste was left on her tongue.
Detecting her thoughts, the System promptly spoke.
[Host, I will work hard to ensure your rise back to prominence and beyond!]
"I know you will. Thanks for that."
[A day will come when The Wretched Creator bleeds from every pore on their body!]
"O-okay?"
Should I be concerned? Nah, this seems motivating. I'll allow it.
*Grrrrrrrr*
Eira's stomach growled. Right, breakfast. Because there were no leftovers from last night, she had to make it from scratch.
[Is there any particular cuisine you are craving, host?]
"Anything crispy will do. Unless you've got a better suggestion? As long as it crunches, I'm not picky." Eira said that more as banter than anything, as she doubted the System knew much about food-related things. There was one time that the System created coffee jelly, but that was it.
Oh, how wrong she was.
The System detected Eira's doubt and dashed her expectations. Hundreds of different types of crispy food were reflected in her widening eyes. Savoury pictures of dishes from across universes triggered another stomach growl.
Scanning the list, Eira lost herself in the recipes.
[I present to the host: The culinary memories of your consumed lifeforms]
[The host may not remember, but when you consumed those cultivators, their information was stored automatically in the System database]
"All of it?! Some of those assholes have been alive since forever yet you remember all of it?"
The System casually admitted to having an innumerable amount of life experience in the palm of its omniscient hands. Cultivators lived for trillions or quadrillions of years, becoming older than worlds and universes. The senses of some easily encompassed millions of mortal realms and picked up all things big and small. The System retained those memories.
Eira's cooking style relied on following recipes to a tee, a style that she has been perfecting, so being given the equivalent of a million cookbooks made her cackle. "Holy shit. Grandpa's either gonna cry or have a heart attack when I go back."
All the options displayed contained ingredients available at the nearest market. As for the menu for immortals, those were well out of reach.
After careful consideration, Eira chose to prepare a fried chicken recipe and a chicken katsu meal. One for tomorrow, and one for today. The fried chicken needs to be marinated overnight so it's tomorrow's meal.
It would also be a nice surprise for her parents when she makes something better than KFC. Those cultivator chefs had to work hard to make sure their bloodline wouldn't be eradicated for serving anything unsavoury.
---------------
[Ingredients]:
- 1/3 Cup of Tomato Sauce
- 1/4 Cup of Plain Flour
- 1 Tablespoon of Soy Sauce
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons of Worcestersh...
- ...
---------------
A list of ingredients attached itself to Eira's peripherals. An Omniscient Scan quickly revealed their locations in the kitchen, and as she arranged them, the System adjusted the amount via annihilation.
105.374 grams?
Now it's exactly 100 grams.
Nanometers, huh. It might just be possible now. Too bad cooking will only be a hobby from now on rather than a potential escape route.
Eira spent an hour cooking and experimenting. Time passed faster than when she cooked alone. It was certainly more fun.
The System was there every step of the way. It ran timers, showed temperature readings, cleaned up small spills, and even provided Eira with comprehensive feedback for next time.
[...Overall, your performance was a 7.43/10]
"Not too shabby." She poked the steaming chicken katsu. Sliding a fork across the breaded crust created satisfying crackles. Yum.
Finishing the prep for the fried chicken took longer, but with the System, it was done in no time.
When all was said and done...
[Will the host give permission to cleanse the kitchen?]
[This will result in a minor headache]
"Only a small headache? You sure about that? There's quite a lot to clean." Eira guessed that Protogenoi-K would be used. She's done the same in the past when no one was paying attention and there were stubborn stains that just didn't know when to give up.
[The System can alleviate the burden of using skills, raising the host's output by a factor of six]
WHAT.
[However, because the System is now autonomously managing the use of √Root and Protogenoi-K in your body, the observable increase is only threefold]
"Only three times!? Only? Dude, that's a big difference. God bless Truck-Sama!"
After breakfast, Eira cleaned the whole house. As she annihilated dust from difficult-to-reach areas, she chatted with the System, mostly ranting. The words that came out of her mouth were foul and, at times, unsettling, a complete contrast to the broad smile she wore.
Forget becoming Pico—being transmigrated into another world where everyone is a stranger was a lonesome experience for Eira. At least she was familiar with Saiki and the cast when she went there, but this world was as real as it could get.
To have someone to talk to about the issues that genuinely weighed on her mind was, simply put, soothing.
"Ah, you should know about the kids at school. They're a real pain in the ass. I wasted a lot of money by being too tolerant."
[I am aware of those miscreants]
That single line of text trembled with hostility, more so than when The Creator was mentioned.
Frowning slightly, a warning escaped Eira's lips.
"Easy. They're just kids."
To which the System said—
[Those children need to learn that throughout Heaven and Earth, you alone matter]
"Awww... no, seriously, don't touch them kids. I would've made a move myself if I took any of their shenanigans to heart. Besides..."
A cruel glint entered her crimson eyes.
"If they're still assholes when they're adults... well, have you seen the movie Open Season?"
The System took a moment to respond. Eira guessed that it was watching the movie from her memories.
[I am acquainted now]
[It does not end well for the hunters]
"Exactly. It's open season by that point. Muahahaha."
[The System is more inclined to use the movie, "Carrie," as a reference for future courses of action]
"Bad System!" she reprimanded. "I just told you we aren't going to do anything like that! Keep it G for General Audiences!"
[By your will, they will live healthy lives... until adulthood]
"That is not what I said. Don't break any laws or anything that will weigh on my mind."
[...Understood] (What you don't know can't hurt you.)
With a clean house and a full stomach, Eira glanced at her electronics but wasn't in the mood for games. The hype of getting her System back made her want to do stuff, burn the extra energy coursing through her. She changed into her activewear. "All this revenge talk is bumming me out. How about instead of scheming their downfall, you help me out with my daily exercise? Got any System magic for that?"
[Notice]
[Workout routines are available for viewing]
[They are tailor-made with your physical abilities in mind]
"...Oh?"
An expectant look crept up her lips.
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[Gestational Period]: 6 Months, 3 Days, 4 Hours, 29 Minutes, 18 Seconds
Gestational Period. The System has displayed that information ever since it awakened. Eira has encountered those words before.
When she was sent to the Xianxia Omniverse, she had a gestational period of 9 months according to the System at the time.
Explain it to me... haah... thought Eira between laboured breaths.
She jogged along the sidewalk at a healthy time of 9:00 AM, a time when all the schoolkids are in the middle of their first lessons, and the adults are working their asses off at their respective jobs.
Needless to say, Eira had no human obstacles in her path, unlike when she jogs after school and people are heading home in droves.
Eira crossed a few streets as she continued following the workout.
[Detected a decrease in pace below the set margin]
[Please speed up immediately]
I know... I'm tryiiing...
The System's workout routine was quite harsh as it was intimately aware of Eira's limits. Distractions were not welcome. At present, she couldn't even talk freely.
I'm gonna die... I'm gonna throw up a lung...
[As for the previous query...]
[The Gestational Period is the time it takes for a foreign body from one Omniverse to be integrated into a new Omniverse]
[The host went through a Gestational Period due to The Creator's arrangement in the past]
[A similar event is currently taking place]
Eira wiped the sweat off her brow, glancing at the timer going down.
[Gestational Period]: 6 Months, 3 Days, 4 Hours, 27 Minutes, 52 Seconds
It's decreased...
Last time, I was stuck for nine months...
If it also started counting down from nine months, then the counter started when I woke up in the Ocean Oasis...
Damn, it's only been three months...? Time passes so slowly...
Gosh, how long have I been running for?
A screen popped into her peripherals.
---------------
[Distance]:
1,542 meters / 5,000 meters
[Time Elapsed]:
11 Minutes, 17 Seconds
---------------
I'm not even halfway!? This is impossible!
Distracted by the screen, Eira ran headfirst into a very avoidable metal pole.
*Bam!*
Eira's head snapped back from the impact, bringing the rest of her body down with her. "Ow ow ow!" she groaned. "What idiot made this thing the same colour as the sidewalk!?"
She cursed the very innocent electrical pole when suddenly, a violent gust of wind brushed past her.
Through her shaky vision, Eira caught what looked like a truck barrelling past from the right, zooming down the road and seemingly off to the next town over.
Ugh... was that real?
Then again, the houses were swaying, the clouds were swimming, and everything in between seemed to roll like waves along the shore, so... maybe not.
Nah, no way. I didn't even hear it coming. I'm seeing things like a schizo, thought Eira as she wheezed like a squeaky old mattress.
[Please look left and right before crossing any roads!!!]
"Yeah, yeah, I get it." Eira waved the screen off without so much as a glance, already assuming that it was another reminder to stop sitting on her ass and stick to the workout.
In the background, the System synthesised analgesics while repairing the injury. The growing bump on her head stalled then shrank. Eira started to feel... nothing.
"Hallelujah!" she exclaimed when even her eyesight got fixed.
[This is not the time to celebrate, host]
[There are still plenty of exercises to be completed at home]
"That's one way to kill my motivation..." Eira suddenly regretted every decision that had led her to this moment.
[A reward awaits you]
Regret? What regret?
Eira perked up immediately. "That's all you had to say!"
She started off strong, but a mere thirty seconds later, she was back to cursing life as a whole.
After finishing all the exercises, Eira sank into a warm bath to slow-cook.
"You know, this reincarnation/transmigration/whatchamacallit really isn't all that bad. It's like I'm back in my original world, but younger and with cheats turned on. Looking back, I worried too much."
Eira leaned deeper into the tub, her breath sending ripples through the water. She can happily spend the rest of her day staying submerged in the water. Or, she can also happily spend the rest of her day playing games.
Who says I can't do both?
She grabbed her Gameboy out of her inventory and booted up Tetris.
[The host's concerns were warranted]
"Yes, but it's not like I got reincarnated as a bum in One Piece. That would have been something else."
Eira started at her vague reflection in the tiles. Man, was she pretty.
Pretty uncanny.
White hair, red eyes. Vividly white and vividly red, almost luminous beneath the light. Mother Nature clearly had no hand in making her.
"With my looks, I would probably get sold off to a Celestial Dragon within a day. But here? No chance. Boku no Pico was a weird story, but it wasn't necessarily set in a weird world."
The world was about as ordinary as it can get. Aside from the higher incidence of traps, all was daijoubu.
[Sorry to burst your bubble, but the possibility of being trafficked remains]
[Your appearance is considered especially exotic in a world full of black hair, blondes, and brunettes]
[By my estimation, you are worth $529,000 in US denomination at the minimum]
For a few seconds, no one said anything.
"...How did you come up with that ridiculous number?" Eira's mouth twitched. She couldn't deny that human trafficking didn't exist, but she never considered being a potential target—one with a high bounty at that.
The System confidently replied.
[9 years, 10 months, 17 minutes, and 38 seconds ago, you searched up, How much can I sell my kidney for? on your father's laptop, which directed you to a few educational websites showing a range of prices for different human parts]
[However, you then stumbled on a legitimate online human trafficking hub and, out of fear for your safety, smashed the laptop into pieces with a bat, but not before getting a glimpse of the information inside]
"Oh lordy, don't remind me. My ass got beaten bad AND I had to give up my piggy bank."
[Aside from your hair colour, your red irises are a genetic impossibility that many individuals would be very keen to "study," "collect," or worse, "propagate"]
The System pulled up multiple sources from her memory. Evening news, Wikipedia, articles, video essays Eira fell asleep to—information that she collected back when she was known as Elias Williams, knowingly or not, were now being put to use.
Then there was the bajillion years of memories she got from the Xianxia Omniverse that was no stranger to the concept of slavery. Millions of worlds, an endless number of endings...
The mishmash of scenarios made Eira gag. "Surely not. Colored contacts exist. Hair dye exists. I'm just... really committed to the style, is all."
[Certainly]
[However, how many individuals have you observed possessing vibrant hair?]
Hearing that, the millions of neurons in Eira's brain fired signals as though it was at war with itself.
The outcome? It wasn't good.
"Touché," grumbled Eira, for the answer was 69 people, and 68 of them were gyarus. None sported a single white strand or wacky eye colours. Even among people who wanted to stand out, Eira would still stick out like a sore thumb.
"But that doesn't mean someone will snatch me from the street," she added quickly.
[It is only a slight possibility]
"Exactly. Public safety in this country is top-notch. The odds are ever in my favour."
[A very slight possibility]
"...You're really not helping me here. Just say it won't happen."
[To do so would be factually incorrect]
"Can't you see I'm freaking out!? This never even crossed my mind before, and now it sounds too freaking possible!" Water sloshed over the sides of the tub. "And think about what year it is! Right now, there's still an island in operation out there, and I'm on the fucking menu!"
But the System did not share her concerns. After all, Eira wasn't normal by any means. And now that the System had returned to its host, she was at her best.
[If you remain concerned for your personal safety, a newly integrated system function may prove useful, courtesyoftheCreationWill—]
The System said the last part quietly.
[Would the host like to activate it?]
"A new function?"
Eira read the name of the system function.
Simulation Trial.
The name alone made her back straighten. Something in her gut told her that this function is gonna be kick-ass.
System functions were the furthest things from useless.
"Go ahead."
Her body went limp. Eira slumped against the tub as though deeply asleep.
From her perspective, everything within the bathroom and anything beyond it ceased to exist. She floated in an empty void, surrounded by nothing.
Alone.
For now.
[Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty]
[Welcome to the Simulation Trial]
The System explained.
[Within the Simulation Trial, the host may engage simulated replicas of any individual recorded within the host's memory bank]
[Each replica will possess the memories, skills, abilities, and attributes of its original counterpart]
[Replica attributes and skillsets may be freely modified]
[The host's own attributes may be adjusted, but cannot exceed their current rank]
[Any injuries, impairments, or fatalities sustained within the Simulation Trial will not carry over to the host's physical body]
Eira understood the application of this system function.
"Self-defence."
[Precisely]
A list of names appeared before Eira. At the top was a random Puerto Rican baby. At the very bottom was the name of a fellow Truck-Sama victim. The Creator was not in the list.
Between them was an endless number of Chinese characters. Cultivators, Eira guessed.
She filtered out everyone related to cultivation. Millions of people still remained on the list.
Eira kept sifting through strangers, celebrities, people she saw in passing, and even fictional characters.
I definitely don't want to fight Goku. Hamtaro is too easy. I DEFINITELY don't want to see Yogiri... Let's see...
...Oh. I have this option?
A name caught her eye. (You). That was the only one with parentheses.
In the next second, she plunged deeper into the void until her feet met solid ground.
Eira steadied herself.
She wasn't alone.
A stone's throw away stood a young man. His pale complexion appeared almost sickly, while his baggy attire hid his physique.
"That's crazy. It's the old me." Eira mumbled to herself. Gathering her voice, she called out. "H-hey!"
The young man's head tilted towards her.
Their eyes met.
And the moment it did, whatever neutrality he had vanished. An ominous expression latched onto his face.
His murderous look made Eira back away.
[The simulation has begun]
The young man shot towards Eira.
"Wait, wait! I just want to talk!"
But it was clear that the feeling wasn't mutual.
Before Eira knew it, he was already upon her.
"Stop!" Eira shrank back on instinct, throwing both arms over her face.
Her wishes had given Eira almost everything she could ask for. In doing so, they robbed Eira of one thing.
A real fight.
A fist buried itself in her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. The blossoming pain wiped Eira's head clean of friendliness or whatever tactic she might have been cooking up.
The young man didn't give her time to recover. He seized her shoulder, and a kick easily swept her legs out from under her.
Eira didn't even have time to blink. The dark void whirled as she plummeted to the ground.
Then, darkness.
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Something dragged Eira back from her blackout, but not completely, not yet.
At first, there was only discomfort.
Then came her pounding heart.
*Thump* *Thump* *Thump*
Her heartbeat thundered inside her skull. A strange heat crawled across her face.
In that peculiar state, Eira tried to breathe.
She couldn't. And when she realised she couldn't, her body jerked against the ground in desperation.
Breathe!
Her eyes snapped open. The void returned in a disorienting blur.
Above her was Elias Williams, his hands wrapped around her throat.
Eira's eyes bulged.
Oh, fu—!
She clawed at his wrists.
Every failed attempt to inhale sent another surge of panic through her body. She tried to shout like an idiot, but could you blame her?
The edges of her vision began to darken.
Get off me!
She kicked, twisted, shoved—anything to break his grip—but her movements were already losing strength.
The darkness she'd only just escaped began creeping back in. The fear kept growing until it threatened to consume her.
Yet, beneath all that terror, something else began to stir.
Eira's nails dug into the young man's wrists. Her dimming eyes now returned his animosity in full.
A pair of eyeballs disappeared from the world. The young man stepped back, confused at his loss of vision. He couldn't see his own hands, even when he brought them inches from his face.
Meanwhile, Eira crawled away. One hand clutched her stomach while the other dragged her across the ground.
Breathe, damn it! Breathe...!
With the young man preoccupied, her lungs could finally obey.
Eira sucked in air like she had never breathed before. She coughed and wheezed, each inhalation uneven. Eira even choked on her own spit a few times, but the fog in her brain lessened with every gasp.
Behind her, the young man stopped examining his hands. His head slowly turned in every direction.
Eira saw that and froze.
I should be fine... he can't see me.
As though to mock her, his head stopped when he was facing her. Her heart almost jumped out of her throat.
Elias Williams was crying blood.
He can't see me.
The young man took a step forward.
He can't see me.
Another.
He can't...
His eyeless head shifted with every ragged breath she took.
That fucker! He can hear me!
Following the sound of Eira's frantic breathing, the young man lunged down and reached for her ankle.
She jerked her leg out of reach, scrambled to her feet, and kicked the young man in the chest, sending him staggering several steps back.
That contact confirmed he was headed in the right direction. He immediately dashed forward with open arms. Eira barely threw herself to the side in time, landing hard on her shoulder.
Eira swallowed a groan before it could give away her position. The young man had gone back to relying on his ears, his head snapping towards every ragged breath she failed to suppress.
Fortunately, she'd put much more distance between them this time. Whenever he drew close, she backed away, keeping well beyond his reach.
Her lungs didn't make it easy. She sucked in breath after breath like an asthmatic in the stratosphere, but gradually, her racing heart began to settle. The blind young man struggled to approach her while she recuperated a safe distance away.
By the time the young man guessed her general direction, it was too late.
His head vanished.
The headless body remained standing for a moment before collapsing. Eira followed, clutching her throbbing head.
What a terrible victory.
"Ugh..."
[Congratulations, host!]
"Congratulations, my ass! I almost died!" Eira snapped. "Why'd you let me hit me?!"
Recalling the time when the System automatically used TheRefuge's
[The Simulation Trial is an excellent instrument to reduce the host's dependence on the System during combat without risk of death or injury]
[Under the host's current circumstances, available resources are limited, rendering continued reliance on the System counterproductive]
[Therefore, collaboration is the best course of action]
[I will assist, while the host will act]
[Would you like to try again?]
Try again. That one line fueled her anger even more.
"No!" Her scream filled the empty void with furious dread. "I've had enough for today. I've had enough for a lifetime! Get me out of here!"
[Understood]
Warmth enveloped her.
Just like that, Eira was back in the tub, submerged up to her chest in water that was still comfortably toasty. Not even a second seems to have passed in the real world.
She checked her neck, her stomach, her whole body. It was like everything that happened was just a nightmare; no evidence of the life-or-death-situation stayed, just as the System said.
Unlike a nightmare, however, what she went through was excruciatingly real.
Eira sank deeper into the bath, intent on never returning to that god-awful place.
"Just make my workout harder to compensate for my lack of combat experience, got it? If I raise my stats, I can use more of my powers. By then, it won't matter if anyone gets close."
[Noted]
[I would like to apologise to the host for my earlier conduct]
[In attempting to reduce the host's reliance on the System, I caused unnecessary distress]
[I am truly sorry]
"...It's fine," she mumbled. "I get it. I'm weak right now, and you have solutions. Just... don't leave me hanging like that."
The System had never heard its host sound so subdued before. It trembled.
[Never again]
And with that promise, a new daily routine was established.
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..
...
—Early morning, school day—
[Gestational Period]: 5 Months, 26 Days, 18 Hours, 55 Minutes, 4 Seconds
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[Distance]:
1,714 meters / 6,100 meters
[Time Elapsed]:
10 Minutes, 45 Seconds
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Did I even get better...? And is it just me, or is the distance increasing?
[Yes to both]
[Your breathing pattern has improved]
I feel like... I'm gonna die... I can't keep... running...
[Good luck!]
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—Sunset, school day—
[Gestational Period]: 3 Months, 27 Days, 5 Hours, 17 Minutes, 38 Seconds
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[Distance]:
4,201 meters / 9,800 meters
[Time Elapsed]:
27 Minutes, 37 Seconds
---------------
"Uuuuuugh..."
[Good luck!]
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—Late afternoon, school day—
[Gestational Period]: 1 Month, 14 Days, 20 Hours, 33 Minutes, 59 Seconds
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[Distance]:
7,883 meters / 13,900 meters
[Time Elapsed]:
44 Minutes, 42 Seconds
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"Heeee... hoooo... heeee... hoooo... gotta do my homework later... I'm feeling lazy today. Can you do it?"
[Only after you finish today's workout, host]
"Since when did you get so bossy...? I'll teach you a lesson..."
[It is evident that the current workout routine intensity is lacking]
[Adjustments will be made accordingly]
"Wai—"
[Good luck!]
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—Early morning, weekday—
[Gestational Period]: 1 Day, 13 Hours, 17 Minutes, 38 Seconds
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[Distance]:
16,203 meters / 16,200 meters
[Time Elapsed]:
1 hour, 9 Minutes, 39 Seconds
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"I'm... alive... new personal best... yay..."
The sun peeked over the horizon. The atmosphere was freezing. Puffs of white mist escaped her lips and the gaps in her jacket. Beneath her clothes, a golden haze surrounded Eira. It devoured her sweat to keep her hydrated.
A yawn escaped between her pants. Unfortunately, today was a Thursday, so Eira couldn't sleep in. The good news is that tomorrow is the last day of school.
Yes, Eira decided to continue going to the same school, much to her parents' confusion and disapproval. They had already found a nice, quiet district where the family could start anew.
Smack dab in the middle of nowhere.
Moving to another school meant moving neighbourhoods, and Eira wasn't up for that kind of hassle. Besides, she discovered that the new district they had in mind was painfully far from just about everything the city had to offer. Arcades, shopping centres, restaurants, and the like were inconveniently far away. It took the combined brainpower of Eira and the System to convince her parents to let her stay, and even then, it was only temporary.
They eventually reached a compromise.
Eira could finish the school year where she was, but once it ended, the family would move out.
Things weren't as bad as before though. After Eira snitched, her homeroom teacher took the situation seriously. She checked on Eira regularly, kept a much closer eye on Nakamura and his friends, and made sure the other teachers couldn't act oblivious to the harassment.
That last part made the biggest difference. Suddenly, there were eyes everywhere. The little shits hadn't stopped being little shits, but now they actually had to be careful about it.
Even then, further attempts at bullying were followed by strange phenomena.
Just the other day, Kaori's seat collapsed moments after she threw an eraser across the room. It was not the first time it had happened.
The children called it a curse and gradually learned to keep their distance from Eira.
The adults had a more mundane explanation. They believed that Kaori had a habit of tipping her chair back, eventually weakening them enough to snap. She's been reprimanded more times in the past six weeks than she had in the past year.
Sixteen other chairs have fallen victim to the same strange phenomenon, but no evidence of foul play has been uncovered. Eira certainly didn't own up—not because she was the culprit. No, that would be the System.
In any case, Eira couldn't be happier now that her belongings were no longer being spirited away.
[Congratulations!]
[The rewards have been deposited into your inventory]
"Yippee... more money..." With the amount that's accumulated in her inventory, Eira was unfazed. "Anyway... the lasagne should be done by now."
With a skip in her step, Eira began jogging at a faster pace, home a mere extra kilometre away.
Six months have passed. Eira's productivity has reached an unprecedented level thanks to the System. Every road, every little street, every building within a 4km radius of her house has already been recorded in the System map until the optimal (hardest) route was found.
Every day, she felt her body get pushed to the limit by aerobic, strength, and flexibility exercises. Still, because of the System and √Root, she always recovered quickly, ready for another beating. The rewards, mostly monetary, were not to scoff at either, considering that the System turned her workouts into daily quests.
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[Daily Quest (Completed)]
Getting Stronger Everyday |Rank: E|
[Quest Completion Rank]: C
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[Eira] |
[Age]: 10
[Level]: <23>
[Race]: |Restricted|
[Titles]: Otaku, Omniversal Traveller, The Mistress Of Space And Time, Truckinator, Luck Be A Lady, Anomaly, Fated Snow, Enemy Of All, Beyond Omniversal, Cultivation Crusher, Limitless, Rule Breaker, Ungrateful Little Shit, Hero To Zero, Little Chef, Freak, Queen Of The Arcade, Crazy Classmate, (NEW!) Jinx, (NEW!) Witch
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[Stats]:
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[Skills]:
Protogenoi-K |Rank: XX|
Hax |Rank: XX|
√Root |Rank: XX|
Cooking |Rank: D --> C|
Studying |Rank: C|
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[Singularity]:
Creation Will (The Life Of Games)
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Each completion of the daily quest earned her 60,000 to 80,000 yen.
All of that money went straight to the most secure location in the Omniverse—the inventory. Her frequent visits to the arcade (after getting unbanned) hardly made a dent in her savings.
"I'm amazing, and you're amazing."
[Thank you]
Overall, Eira was satisfied with her progress.
As a side note, the Simulation Trial has been gathering dust since its first introduction.
[Gestational Period]: 1 Day, 12 Hours, 14 Minutes, 52 Seconds
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In some corner of the universe...
[Drat, I missed her.]
Truck-Sama honked in annoyance.
"Nice try, but I won't let you isekai her that easily." Watching Eira continue on her run, The Creator retrieved the pole he placed in the middle of the sidewalk. Luckily, Eira didn't question it.
...